


A Real Bargain

by Ink_Gypsy



Series: Lucky Clover Diner Universe [25]
Category: The Lord of the Rings RPF
Genre: Birthday Gift Fic, Sean Astin/Elijah Wood - Freeform, lucky clover diner universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 03:12:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14126838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy
Summary: Elijah needs a winter coat and insists on shopping for one at a thrift shop.





	A Real Bargain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shirebound](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shirebound/gifts).



> Part of my Lucky Clover Diner Universe. Written as a gift for a friend's birthday.

[](https://imgur.com/AFJxOJL)

It was October, and already cold enough for a coat, so Sean was surprised to see Elijah was wearing only a denim jacket over his tee-shirt.

“Are you sure you’ll be warm enough?” Sean asked, hoping he didn’t sound too much like an over-protective mother.

“I’ll be fine,” Elijah assured him.

“Well it won’t be long before you’ll need that bomber jacket.” Elijah only nodded.

When they left the diner at the end of the day, the temperatures had dropped even more, and Elijah was visibly shivering.

“Guess you’ll be needing your Dad’s jacket tomorrow,” Sean mused.

“No, I’ll just wear a hoodie under my denim jacket.”

Something wasn’t right, and Sean knew it. “I thought you loved that bomber jacket,” he said.

“I do,” Elijah replied. “It was my father’s favorite, and it’s all I have left of him. If I keep wearing it, it will fall apart, but if I keep it in the closet I’ll always have it to remind me of him.” He looked away, embarrassed by the sentiment. “You think it’s dumb. It’s okay, you can say it.”

“Not dumb at all,” Sean told him. “It’s perfectly natural to want to preserve something your father left you, but winter’s coming and you’re going to need a warm coat. Tomorrow we’ll go get you one.”

“I can’t afford it,” Elijah protested.

“I know. That’s why I’m going to buy one for you.”

“I can’t let you do that.”

“You’re not letting me. It’s something I want to do.” When Elijah didn’t look convinced, Sean said, “Elijah, I have money and you don’t. It’s that simple. You’d do the same for me if our positions were reversed. Besides, I can’t have the man I love getting pneumonia.”

“I guess,” Elijah said, seeing the sense in it. “Okay,” he gave in.

The next night after closing, they went into the business district to buy Elijah’s new coat. Sean would have preferred taking him to a men’s clothing shop, but since his budget wouldn’t allow him to spend what a coat would cost there, he steered them toward their local Target. He knew what they found there wouldn’t be high fashion, but it would be sturdy and wear well.

“No,” Elijah objected, pointing across the street, “let’s go shop there.”

 _There_ was the local Salvation Army store. “A used coat?” Sean shook his head. “No way. I’m not rich, but I can still afford to buy you a new coat.”

“It doesn’t have to be new,” Elijah offered. “You can find some great bargains in thrift shops and second-hand stores, clothes you wouldn’t be able to afford if they were new.”

“Wouldn’t you rather have something no one’s worn before you?” Sean tried.

“No, Sean.” Elijah was insistent. “If you want to buy me a coat, it’s second-hand or nothing.”

Sean could see that Elijah felt strongly about this, and since he needed a coat and was allowing Sean to buy it for him, a second-hand coat was a compromise Sean could live with.

“Fine,” Sean gave in as gracefully as he could. “Let’s go see if we can find something you like.”

To Sean’s surprise, there was a decent selection of winter coats, the lowest priced at $15, the most expensive at $60, and all were in excellent condition. It was obvious that Elijah knew what kind of clothing would be found in the store, which told Sean that he had probably bought things here before.

“Do you want another bomber jacket?” Sean asked. “Or would you like another style of coat?”

Elijah shrugged. ”I don’t care, as long as it’s warm.”

“A coat can be both stylish and functional,” Sean offered. He picked one off the rack. “Like this one.” Sean’s eyes had been drawn to a navy blue peacoat. It was wool, and if Sean hadn’t known better, he would have thought it was brand new. Imagining how good Elijah would look wearing it, he took it off the hanger and held it out to him. “Here, try this one.” After Elijah had put on the coat, Sean gave him a look of approval. “Looks like a good fit. What do you think? he asked hopefully.

“It’s sure warm enough,” was Elijah’s response.

Sean frowned. “Warmth checks one box, but you should like the way it looks on you, too. Go on, take a look at yourself.”

Elijah moved in front of the full-length mirror and struck a pose, reminding Sean of a model doing a photoshoot.

[](https://imgur.com/jsh9Da1)

Turning back to Sean he asked, “Do I look okay?”

“You look incredible,” Sean told him, a broad smile on his face.

A voice coming from the front of the store announced, “You look totally hot.” Sean turned around to see that the older man who had been behind the cash register when they’d entered the store had come out from behind the counter and was standing there watching them. To Sean’s dismay, he saw the guy was practically salivating at the sight of Elijah.

Sean knew that Elijah would always get admiring looks from other men, and from most women as well, but he didn’t think he’d ever get used to it, and he’d certainly never be okay with any man looking at Elijah the way this stranger was. The intense jealousy that the man’s reaction was bringing out in him shocked Sean, and he found himself acting extremely proprietary about his young lover, ready to usher Elijah out of the store as soon as possible, even though Elijah seemed oblivious to the man’s attention. “If you’re not sure, we can go somewhere else,” he said quickly. “There are plenty of other stores we can try.”

Elijah looked at his reflection in the mirror again. “No, I really like this one, Sean.” He glanced at the price tag. “Unless it costs too much.”

“It doesn’t cost too much,” Sean assured him. A coat of this quality would be more than double the price at a clothing store, so he knew he was getting a bargain, but he would have gladly paid full price to be able to give it to Elijah. “If you like it, then I want you to have it, but you need to take it off so the gentleman can ring it up.”

Elijah slipped off the coat and handed it to Sean, who took it to the front of the store, where the man who’d been leering at Elijah had returned to his place behind the counter.

“$60,” the clerk announced, and Sean took out his wallet, extracting two 20’s and two 10’s, and laying them on the counter. Sean imagined that because of the difference in their ages and the fact that he was paying for the coat, the clerk would assume that he was Elijah’s _daddy_. Rather than the smirk he’d expected, the clerk gave Sean a look of obvious envy. As he bagged the coat, the clerk nodded in Elijah’s direction, then in a lowered voice told Sean, “You’re a lucky man.”

“I know,” Sean replied, and meant it.

Elijah wore his new, second-hand peacoat home, and as they walked back to their apartment, he stuck his hands into the coat’s pockets to keep them warm. “Hey!” he exclaimed, pulling his hand out of the right pocket. In it he clutched a crumpled ten dollar bill. “See?” he grinned. “I told you we’d find a real bargain in a thrift shop.”


End file.
